Head dancer dont no nothing about powwow

[peekaboo]

A freind of mine his daughter was asked to be head dancer at a pow wow in the spring. The thing is she dont no nothing about a pow wow.She only started dancing because she was given her out fit by a family friend. She dont know the songs. She dont know the different styles so on so on.I fear for her that her and my freinds family will be talked about wrong should i say something or just leave it alone. She is only dancing beacuse she wants the money.I asked her "you excited to be head dancer" she said "sort of my mom said I will be getting paid for it"
After that powwow I doubt she will dance again because she don't really go to to many powwows.

[WICAPI WANJI]

Absolutely!!! she needs to be told straight up cuz its not just her rep but her entire families rep as well...besides if shes that greedy or materialistic she probably doesnt need to be out there anyway.....this thing they ask of her is a great honor and involves alot of responsibility....if her hearts not into it or if she just straight up cant do it.....cuz of her lack of knowledge tell her to step down...quickly before she makes an A** of herself and relatives.....Dokca..:Mad ( no offense to you and yours just lettin ya know)

[Beth]

dancer

It would be better for her to step down now than make a fool of herself and the family in front of a lot of people. The committee is partly to blame they should know the people they ask to be head dancers. I fault the committee more than your daughter.

[tradish_wiyan]

Re: Head dancer dont no nothing about powwow

Originally posted by peekaboo
A freind of mine his daughter was asked to be head dancer at a pow wow in the spring. The thing is she dont no nothing about a pow wow.She only started dancing because she was given her out fit by a family friend. She dont know the songs. She dont know the different styles so on so on.I fear for her that her and my freinds family will be talked about wrong should i say something or just leave it alone. She is only dancing beacuse she wants the money.I asked her "you excited to be head dancer" she said "sort of my mom said I will be getting paid for it"
After that powwow I doubt she will dance again because she don't really go to to many powwows.

Hold up...how old is your daugter? Looking at your age, you are 22, correct? What is up with a committee asking a "tiny tot" to be a head dancer for a powwow? There are many responsibilities that go along with being a head dancer at a powwow, and if she is that materialistic to do it for the money...SELL HER OUTFIT AND THEN SHE WILL HAVE MONEY, THERE IS NO NEED TO DANCE ONLY FOR THE MONEY!!!
No offense, just callin it like I see it.

[peekaboo]

Oh heeeeeeelllllll naaaaaaaaawwww it aint my daughter. I would never let my family go out like that.
I'd shoot myself before some thing like that went down.
My homies daughter was asked and yes that was I think the main reason she was asked... because her cousin is on the committee. THATS THE ONLY REASON.
Its a inside family thing I guess.
I dont think no one knows her.
Im embaresed even thinking of her going out there making her family look like clueless fools.
I know how nasty people can get.

[ABENEWA KWE]

what kinda powwow is this??? how can they ask someone who doesn't even know diddly squat about dancing .... this is a great honor and and should not be taken lightly .... yes u should let her and her family know that it is even disrepect if she accepts and doesn't know what she is doing ..... disaster ... pure disaster.

[peekaboo]

Re: Re: Head dancer dont no nothing about powwow

Originally posted by tradish_wiyan
Hold up...how old is your daugter? Looking at your age, you are 22, correct? What is up with a committee asking a "tiny tot" to be a head dancer for a powwow? There are many responsibilities that go along with being a head dancer at a powwow, and if she is that materialistic to do it for the money...SELL HER OUTFIT AND THEN SHE WILL HAVE MONEY, THERE IS NO NEED TO DANCE ONLY FOR THE MONEY!!!
No offense, just callin it like I see it.

It AINT MY DAUGHTER.
Once again. It is my friends daughter.
His daughter was asked. She is 16.

[tradish_wiyan]

OH WHOOPS...MY BAD!!!!!! I didn't read the post carefully enough...sorry dude.

[Dancin by the bay]

What does a committee look for when choosing to select a dancer for head position?

[ABENEWA KWE]

Originally posted by tradish_wiyan
OH WHOOPS...MY BAD!!!!!! I didn't read the post carefully enough...sorry dude.

:Chatter all i got to say is ....... :Chatter

so ..... peekaboo..... what are u gon do? i think you know in your heart what to do.

[Tsiniti]

16 yrs old? To me, she is too young to be Head Lady. I was taught that the older ladies (ok maybe 20 and older) more experienced are asked to be Head Lady. Maybe she could be Head Teen Lady ..... ?????

Some one needs to talk to someone about it, she certainly sounds too immature for the role let alone old enough to understand, or even care about the responsibility.

[Gold_toothed_dancer]

uncool

The family needs to be told if they havne't already about it.Have them know she's out representing not just herself but the family and also the tribe she from. Or is it a tribal pow wow and they alraedy know she not the rigth or responsible person. Man if it were my family and they didn't know or even did it for the wrong reason I'd spell it out clear as freaking day to them. Tht suck they are telling her to do it based on the money she be getting.

[Beth]

head lady

The committee should be looking for someone with experience in dancing. Not someone that just startted. Frankly she could bow out gracefully now or make the whole family and the committee a laughing stock. Money should not enter into it.

[nativ_5_o]

dancer

my oldest daughter dances alot...we went to a powwow with a head teen girl about 15-16, she didn't know the dances and she had to be almost pried out of her chair to be in the arena.
Her attitude really showed and my daughter and I both thought that it really disrespected other dancers that were there that would have loved to been asked to be a head dancer and would have given the position its proper respect. maybe someone thought they were doing her a favor by asking or just trying to get her excited about powwowing by gettin her involved, but if money is all she seems to care about, someone should "pay" her not to dance

[WhoMe]

Originally posted by Dancin by the bay
What does a committee look for when choosing to select a dancer for head position?

Originally when a head dancer was chosen . . .

A powwow committee representative would go to the persons house and make a formal invitation.

Back in the day, a person was chosen for their knowledge of the dance arena, the amount of family/tribal support they could bring and the respect they had among their peers.

Things were stricter back then. If the head dancer could not dance a certain dance or had to temporarily leave the arena, they would designate someone to temporarily take their place.

Today because of the frequency of powwows and also the budgets of some powwow committees, inexperienced people are asked to be head dancers.